SPRING HILL, Fla. - It’s back to basics at Bishop McLaughlin.

And back to the business of football for Bob Dare. After a two-year absence from the sidelines, Coach Dare is back where he belongs. 

“It’s what I’ve been passionate about for years,” Dare said. “It’s been my platform for mentoring and discipling young men. So, hey, when you’re 65 years old and you get an opportunity to do this, it’s like thank you Lord.

Dare comes Bishop McLaughlin armed with an impressive resume and reputation. Prior to his unceremonious dismissal in 2019, Dare spent 11 seasons at Cambridge Christian producing several Division I athletes and several winnings seasons, including a trip to the state championship game in 2015.

The past two seasons, he’s kept up with the sport through social media, looking for the latest trends. He followed the sport, but something was missing.

“I just missed the relationships with the guys,” he said. “When you work with high school kids, they just kind of give you an energy.”

The Hurricanes are going to need that energy. Bishop McLaughlin did not win a game last season. Coach Dare knows it will be a challenge and he’s ready to put up a fight. But it pales in comparison to the battle his wife is fighting at home.

Bob’s wife Beth is battling breast cancer. She recently completed her chemotherapy treatments and started radiation. It’s been a tough road, but she’s not on this journey by herself.

“Bob was like a rock for me,” Beth Dare said. “He just had a few other things going on in his life, but …”

“Yeah, it was pretty crazy there for a couple of months, trying to figure out between the cancer and the job at Bishop,” Dare said. “It’s almost like everything line up.”

There’s a new addition to the family, a puppy aptly named Cookie Dough, a nod to Beth’s penchant for baking. And Dare has a longer commute to school. But something feels familiar about all of this.

It might be awhile before Beth is baking her famous victory cookies for the Canes. They have a lot of work to do. But they’ve got a coach and his trusty sidekick pulling for them all the way. 

Bishop McLaughlin got a package deal with the Dares and it’s a winning package.

“You know she’ll figure out a way, doing her photography, making cookies if they win,” Dare said. “So, yeah, we’re excited to be back doing this.”